The Best Times of Our Lives
by A Beautiful Symphony
Summary: Harry, Ron, and Hermoine return to Hogwarts for their 7th year. Alliances will be made, friendships will be tested. Who knows what could happen under the influence of butterbeer...
1. Chapter 1

The familiar scarlet train released a stream of smoke as students hurried about, kissing their mums and dad's goodbye and headed off to find their friends. A chorus of frogs croaked, one of them distinctively louder than the others. Must be Trevor.

A mother's shrieking could be heard throughout Platform 9 ¾ as Ronald Weasley dismissed his mother's cries. "Ronald Weasley, how dare you leave without saying goodbye?" Ron, who had by now turned a shocking shade of pink, had suddenly become interested in the floor. "RONALD". Mortified, he pecked his mother on the cheek, and with Harry and Hermoine in tow, he sprinted to the train, his face still a bit pink.

"Ron! Oh, Ron! Slow down! The train hasn't left yet" Hermoine yelled as she struggled to keep up with her friend. Her curly brown waves stood on end, like deer antlers, as she followed. "Come on then, my mum is probably still watching". Harry Potter resisted the urge to laugh at his best friends and headed into an empty compartment. Once they had all settled in, Hermoine slid a rolled-up copy of the Daily Prophet from under her robes. "Every time I look at this, I think of that horrible woman. Rita- Skeeter, Harry finished, grimacing. The three of them took a moment to remember the events that took place in their fourth year.

"It says in here that there's been another disappearance. This time, it's a woman. Robin Simpkin. She was important to the Ministry, I assume"

"Yeah, Dad told me she worked in his old department. Wonder why You-Know- I mean, V-Voldemort would want someone who worked with Muggles..

"Ron, he could have been using her to get to the Muggles, you know. Even I know that"

"You know everything."

"No I don't."

"Right". Ron reached into his pocket, jangling his few coins. "When's the trolley coming? I'm getting a bit hungry…"

"Be patient, Ron! I expect it'll—"Trolly! Anything from the trolly?" Ron jumped up, his two galleons ricocheted off his pants, hitting Crookshanks square in the eye. Scowling, he reached forward, and grabbed his money. The woman pushing the trolley looked down expectantly at him. "Anything from the trolly, dear?"

"Hm…Chocolate Frogs…just one" "Oi, Ron, and some Bertie's Botts" added Harry. He flipped a coin in Ron's direction. "Right. Those too."

For a few moments the Trio ate in silence. Ron stacked the cards he collected in a pile. His eyes strayed towards Harry's empty candy package. "Honestly Ron, are you really still collecting those cards?" "Yes, yes I am! I've almost got 200 of them. Just need a few more.." He stopped and noticed a card that he had forgotten. Hermoine's hand was resting on top of it.

Ron looked back and forth between Hermoine's hand, and the card beneath it. Finally, he reached over and snatched the card. His arm briefly brushed against Hermoine's, sending an electric jolt throughout his body. He looked up, and caught Hermoine's eyes….

Note: next chapter will be in Harry's POV! Bear with me, this is my first fanfic ever!. Constructive criticism is much appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

Harry looked over at his two friends, who had frozen in place, and were now gazing into each other's eyes. He shook his head (he had known this was going to happen anyways) and turned to watch the meadows speed by, just green blurs.

"Ronald! Watch where you put your hands!"

Harry turned around, not daring to believe it, but then burst into laughter when he saw what was really going on. "Oh Ron. These are my new robes, and now they're covered in chocolate!" "Hermoine, I can fix it, I swear. _Scourgify!_ To Harry (and Hermoine's, for that matter) immense surprise, Ron's spell had worked. Ron grinned ear to ear, and stuffed his wand in his pocket proudly.

Hermoine glanced out of the window, and jumped up with a start. "We're nearly there. Come on!" The glistening meadows had long disappeared, and had been replaced with the eerie darkness of night. As the three of them grabbed their bags, Harry could have sworn he saw Hermoine slip her hand into Ron's….

InsideTheCastle!

Harry and Ron sat side by side in the Gryffindor Common Room, and watched Hermoine hunch over a book. "Hermoine, it's the first night. You can't possibly have homework." She looked up and gave each of them a frightening glare. "If you two weren't so dense, you would notice that I am reading Hogwarts, A History. You lot wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" She smirked, and returned to her reading. "I hear they get even meaner when they grow old" Ron whispered.

"I heard that, Ron."

"Really though Hermoine, why are you reading that?" Harry asked.

He was now standing behind her, peering down at her.

"If you must know, we've got the Fall Ball coming up in October. It's a costume party, and I'm researching what people have worn in the past. It says here that almost fifty years ago, Dumbledore came as a Chocolate Frog! Can you imagine that?" The three of them exchanged glances, and then burst into laughter.

"Well, I'm off to bed. See you two in the morning".

The next morning, Hermoine came downstairs to find Ron and Harry deep in conversation. "What are you lot on about?" She asked. It was a rhetorical question, and she hadn't really expected them to answer back. "Well, we..-Harry shot Ron a glance-, we wanted to know what your classes were. We forgot to get our schedules last night, you see." Ron finished, lamely. Hermoine shook her head, but set down her bag and pulled out her schedule. "Blimey. Double potions?" "With Slytherin?" Both Harry and Ron shook their heads in disbelief. "And Divination? I thought you dropped that class"

"I've decided that a bit more of that so-called class won't hurt me. But, come on now, we don't want to be late" "Or do we?" Harry thought to himself.

"Class, turn to page 294" A loud, simultaneous rustle took place, as everyone in the class proceeded to open their books. "I would expect that you 7th years would have learned how to be quiet by now" Snape said, his long, pallid face remaining expressionless until he saw Hermoine quickly scanning the chapter. He rushed over and shut the book. "Miss Granger, 5 points from Gryffindor. Reading ahead is not allowed. I'm guessing Potter suggested this to you?" He shot Harry a nasty glance. "In this case, you will be assigned a new partner. Draco."

Hermoine watched as the tall, pale blond-haired boy slowly made his way to her table. She wasn't sure if he had spent his summer working for Voldemort or not, but whatever he had done, it must have been strenuous. She could clearly see beneath his shirt a gentle curve of what looked like a muscle. "What are you staring at mudblood? Weaslebee and Potty don't have to protect you. I wouldn't touch something as filthy as you, anyways". "Oh really? I was under the impression that Pansy would have had a couple of STDS, being the Slytherin whore." Immediately after she said it, Hermoine gasped. She hadn't meant to say that. Malfoy looked as shocked as she. "Didn't know you had it in you Granger.." he said harshly, and turned his back to her…

(hope you like it!  Reviews please.)


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